Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1887-11-09

Il 80
| courage them against the immense odds OF
| he side of their enemies, said: "Come, my
| men, look these follows in the face. They
IRE six thousand. you are three hundred
surely the match is even." That speech
gave them the victory. Be not, my hear
| ,r, dismayed at any time by what seems ar
immense odds against ycu. Is fortune, ID
vant of education, are men, are devils
gainst you? Though the multitudes o1
arth and he'll confront you, stand up to the
,harge. With million against you, the
match is just even. Nay, you have a de
.ided advantage. If God be for us. who
can be against us9 Thus protected, you
iced not spend much time in answering
your assailants.
Many years ago word came to me that
wo imposters, as temperance lecturers, had
been speaking in Ohio in various places.
nd giving their experience. and they told
heir audience that they had long been in
Innate with me, and had become drunkards
by dining at my table, where always had
liquors of all sorts. Indignant to the last
iegree, I went down to Patrick Campbell,
Chief of Brooklyn Police, saying was 60
ng to start that night for Ohio to have
hese Williams arrested and l wanted him to
ell me how to make the arrest. He smiled
and said: 'Do not waste your time by
chasing these men. Go home and do your
work, and they can do you no harm" l
cook his counsel and all was we'll. Long
,go / made up my mind that If one will
put his trust in God and be faithful to duty,
he need not fear any evil. Have God on
gour side, young man, aud all the combin-
ed forces of earth and hell can do you no
damage.
And this leads me to say that the night
est of all defence for a young man is the
possession of thorough religious principle.
Nothing can take the place of it. He may
nave manners that would put to shame the
gracefulness and courtesy of a Lord Ches
terfeld. Foreign languages may drop
from his tongue He may be able to dis
cuss literatures, and laws, and foreign GUS
toms. He may WELD pen of unequalled
polish and power. His quickness and tact
may qualify him for the highest salary of
the counting house. He may be as sharp
as Herod and as strong as Samson, with as
fine locks as those which hung Absalom,
still he is not safe from contamination. -
The more elegant his manner and the more
fascinating his address, the more peril
Satan does not care much for the allegiance
of coward and iIlterate being. He can
he loves to storm that castle of character
which has in it the mpst spoils aud treas
ures. 1t was not some crazy craft creeping
along the coast with valueless cargo that
the pirate attacked, but the ship, living
ed and tagged, plying between great ports,
carrying its million of specie The more
your natural and acquired accomplish
ments, the more need of the religion of
Jesus. That does not cut in upon or hack
any smoothness of disposition or behavior.
1t gives symmetry. It arrests that in the
soul which ought to be arrested, and pro-
pels that which ought to be propelled. 1t
fills up the gulleys. 1t elevates and trans
forms. To beauty it gives more beauty, to
tact more tact: TO enthusiasm of nature
more enthusiasm. When the holy Spirit
impreases the image of God on the heart he
does not spoil the canvas. If-in all the
multitudes of young men upon whom reli-
gion has acted you could find one nature
that had been the least damaged, l would
yield this proposition. You may now have
enough strength of character to repel the
varieus temptations to gross wickedness
which assail you, but l do not know in
what strait you may be thrust at some fut-
ure time. Nothing short of the grace of the
cross may then be able to deliver you from
the lions. You. are not meeker than Moses,
nor holler than David, nor more patient
than Job, aud you ought not to consider
yourself invulnerable. You may have
some weak point OF character that you
have never discovered, and in some hour
when you are assaulted the Philistines will
be upon thee, Samson. Trust not in your
good habits, or your early training, or your
pride of character; nothing short of the
arm of almighty God will be sufficient to
uphold you. You look forward to the
world sometimes with chilling despond-
ency. Cheer up 1 will tell you how you
all may make fortune. 'Seek first the
kingdom of God and His righteousness and
all other things will be added unto you." 1
know you do not want to be mean in this
matter. Give God the freshness of your
life. You will not have the heart to
drink down the brimming cup of life and
then pour the dregs on Gods altar To a
Saviour so infinitely generous you have not
the heart to act like that. That is not
brave, that is not honorable, that is not
manly. Your greatest want in all the
world is a new heart. In Gods name l
tell you that. And the blessed spirit
presses through the solemnities and privi-
leges of this holy hour. Put the cup of life
OtGTual W your Apc. Ia uo0 AZ iot
back. Mercy Offers it, bleeding mercy,
long suffering mercy. Reject all other
friendships, be ungrateful for all other
friendships, be uugrateful for all other kind
ness, prove recreant to all other bargains,
but despise not Gods love for your i'm
mortal soul-don't you do that.
l would like to see some of you this hour
press out of the ranks of the world and lay
your conquered spirit at the feet of Jesus.
This hour is Do wandering vagabond stag
gering over the earth, it is winged mes
senger of the skies whispering mercy to thy
ul. Life is smooth now, but after a
while it may be rough, wild and precipieate.
There comes a crisis in the history of every
NAH. We seldom understand that turning
point until it is far past. The road Of life
is forked and l read on signboards: This
is the way to happiness, ''This is the way
to ruin." How apt we are to pass the forks
of the road without thinking whether it
comes out at the door of bliss or the gates
of darkness.
Many years ago I stood on the anniver-
sary platform with a minister of Christ
who made this remarkable statement
"Thirty years ago two young men start
ed out in the evening to attend Park
Theatre. New York, where play was to
be acted in which the cause of religion was
to be placed in ridiculous and hypocritic-
al light. They came to the steps. The
consciences of both smote them. One
started to go home, but returned again to
door and yet had not courage to enter and
finally departed. But the other young
man entered the pit of the theatre. It was
the tuning point in the history of those
two young men. The man who entered
was caught in the whirl of temptation. He
sank deeper and deeper in infamy. He
was lost. The other young man was
saved, and he now stands before you to
bless God that for twenty years he has been
permitted to preach the Gospel
"Rejoice, o. young man, in your youth,
and thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy
youth; but know thou that for all these
things God will bring thee into judg-
ment."
You'll find her smiling night dyd
Although at times she's not so gay.
And you wonder why you meet
This constant smile, regard her teeth.
She only laughs those gems to show,
Which SOZODONT makes white as snow.